Three out of five (60%) escooter users admitted to hospital following a collision in England and Wales in 2021 were admitted to a major trauma centre, a study published in online journal Injury Prevention found. — AFP
LONDON: Escooter riders involved in crashes are more likely to suffer serious injuries than cyclists, new research in the UK suggests.
Three out of five (60%) escooter users admitted to hospital following a collision in England and Wales in 2021 were admitted to a major trauma centre, a study published in online journal Injury Prevention found.
That is compared with just 47% of cyclists.
There was a higher rate of serious head injuries among escooter riders (35%) than cyclists (20%).
Injured escooter riders were much less likely to have worn a helmet (7% versus 47%) and were nearly three times more likely to be drunk or high (26% versus 7%).
They also tended to be younger than cyclists admitted to hospital, with an average age of 35 compared with 50.
The study was conducted by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and St Mary’s Hospital, which is also in London.
Britain’s Department for Transport figures show 11 escooter users were killed and a further 347 were seriously injured in Britain during the 12 months to the end of June 2022.
There are hopes that escooters could replace cars for many short journeys.
Private escooters cannot be legally used on roads or pavements in the UK but have become a common sight.
Trials of rental escooters on roads in dozens of towns and cities across England have been extended until May 2024.
“Escooters are an emerging mode of transport in the UK, and full characterisation of rates and types of injury will require ongoing study,” the researchers wrote.
“However, these preliminary results indicate that escooter use may result in a higher relative rate of hospital admission due to significant trauma than bicycles and in particular, higher rates of severe head injury.
“As the number of escooter trips taken continues to grow, further legislation and tighter regulation of escooter rental are required to reduce the already significant burden of injury associated with this mode of transport.” – dpa
